"Where's that money?" he snapped out. "Here--let's go through you!"
His search revealed a dollar's worth of silver.
"Dig up the rest of that twenty-five dollars!" he demanded.
Slowly the other took off one of his boots, and from it produced two ten-dollar bills.
"We had some dough of our own when we come on the train," he volunteered to Ellis's silent look of interrogation, "but we got inter a poker game with some fellers and lost out, so we broke into the five-spot fer some supper and booze."
Benton considered a bit longer, then suddenly made up his mind and opened the door.
"_Voertsek, du verdomde schelm!_"[1] he said sharply, jerking his head towards the aperture.
[1] A glossary of South African, and other words will be found at the end.
The man stared at him stupidly for a moment. "I don't savvy you," he muttered.
"Beat it, you d--d crook! D'you savvy _that_?" came the policeman's harsh response. "Out of town by the first train that comes in--East or West--and take your pal with you."
"We ain't got the price," was the somewhat aggrieved answer.
"Then take a 'tie pass,' d--n you," said the Sergeant grimly. "And mind--if I catch either of you fellers around this burg tomorrow morning, I'll shove you both in the calaboose _and_ put the boots to you as _well_ as this charge. Now beat it, and go and pick up your pal!"
Harry waited for no further invitation, but vanished into the night.
Wearily Ellis gathered up the contents of the bag and, putting in the money along, closed it. He felt very tired and, lighting a cigarette, he sat down and tried to think.
"Guess I can get it through to her," he muttered. "I'll send a wire now that'll catch her on the train somewhere, and she can send me her address."
And going to the telephone he rang up the night-operator at the depot.
And if you're wishful, O maiden kind, To know concerning me; A far-flung sentinel am I Of the R. N. W. M. P. Renouncing women, as though wearing a cowl-- I live for a monthly wage 'Way out on the bald, green-brown prairie, That stretches as far as the eye can see; Where the lone gray wolf and the coyote howl, And the badger digs in the sage.
The day broke fine and clear. The hot sun quickly drying up the little puddles and sticky mud resulting from the recent downpour. Benton, rising early, watered and fed the horses. These duties despatched, and his own breakfast at the hotel accounted for, he leisurely proceeded to ascertain if the two participants in his previous night's adventure had left town.